Self-guided Civil War Tour of Alexandria

This short walking tour is intended as a “boots on the ground” companion to “A Street Guide to Civil War Alexandria,” which is a pamphlet published by Fort Ward Museum. I’m also working on a longer distance version and hope to add present day photos to this one.

1.33 miles walking distance.

Short self-guided walking tour of Alexandria Civil War sites

1. Start at 321 S Fairfax St. First Presbyterian Church Hospital
Proceed North on Fairfax St to Duke St. Turn right on Duke then Right on S. Lee St. Turn right on King St.
2. Commissary Depot, Wharves, Storehouses
Buildings are no longer standing, but in Civil War times, they were all along Union St.
Turn Left on Cameron St.
3. Route of Col. Elmer Ellsworth to the Marshall House, May 24 1861
This was the date that Virginia seceeded from the Union. It’s also the day that Union Forces (Col Elmer Ellsworth, to be exact) moved to secure “strategic locations” in Alexandria. We’ll be following his route until we reach the corner of King & Pitt in just a few minutes.
4. 119-133 N Fairfax St; Only Northern portion of original building remains: Mansion House General Hospital
5. City Hall and Market
Turn Left on N. Royal St.
6. 138 N Royal St, now Gadsby’s Tavern, was City Hotel
Turn right on King St.
7. Site of Marshall House. (Corner of King & Pitt. Building no longer stands.)
Turn left on S. Pitt St. Turn right on Prince St.
8. 504 Prince St. Birthplace of General MD Corse (building is gone.)
9. 520 Prince St: Headquarters, 6th Battalion, Virginia Volunteers
Turn left on St. Asaph.
10. 201 S. St Asaph: Customs House/ Post Office/Telegraph Office, Headquarters of the Military Governor.
11. 209 S. St Asaph St: Military Governor’s residence
12. Intersection of Wolfe & St. Asaph
Friends Meeting House Hospital (SW corner of intersection, no longer stands)
Turn Left on Wolfe St.
13. 510 Wolfe St, Wolfe St Hospital (Francis Smith House)
14. Tuscan Villa Hospital (Pitt & S. Wolfe, next to Wolfe St. Hospital, no longer stands.)
15. Turn Left on S. Fairfax St and return to start.

Links for further reading:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Virginia


• http://oha.alexandriava.gov/oha-main/oha-tftp.html


• http://www.alexandria.lib.va.us/lhsc_online_exhibits/cwpix/cwpix.html


• http://www.historicmapsrestored.com/civilwar/virginia-seat-of-war.html


• http://www.gmu.edu/library/specialcollections/vaprints.html

Other civil war sites in Northern VA:

Fort Ward Museum and historic site

http://oha.alexandriava.gov/fortward/

Fort Williams Park

Park Location: 501 Fort Williams Parkway
Park Area: 7.80 acres
Park Usage: Fort Williams Park is a passive nature area. It includes a wooded nature preserve with a walking path, used by dog walkers and nature lovers.

This Park is located at 501 Fort Williams Parkway on the east side of the Parkway. It is a heavily wooded site that has a minor foot path. There is also a small run or stream that runs through the park that feeds into Lake Cook. There is some signage on each end and a footbridge that crosses over the run.

The park is named for an earthen Civil War Fort that once existed here, (Fort Williams) one of 68 forts built in the defense of the Washington Area. No trace of the fort exists today.

Civil War Trails
http://www.civilwartrails.org/